


Paper Work and Punches

by Assassin_of_kings



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Gen, Mild Language, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 03:12:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4690100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Assassin_of_kings/pseuds/Assassin_of_kings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day starts off with Halt reading to his daughter Cal. Then Crowley comes for a visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paper Work and Punches

   Halt was reading Cal a story when the door opened. He looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Crowley.

   "It's polite to knock before entering a person's home."

   "I know." Crowley said. He dropped a stack of paper in front of Halt. Halt looked up his his friend.

   "What is this? A joke? Or do you plan on filling these out while spending time with Cal?"

   "Neither. I will see you later. Here's a caramel, Cal." he set a paper wrapped candy on the table and walked out. Halt ran after him, shouting profanities the whole while.

   Since Halt was outside on he porch, Cal took that moment to grab the candy off the table. She stuck it in her mouth and ran back to her spot as Halt was coming back inside. He was mumbling about Crowley being a bitch. Sitting back down he picked up the first paper and sighed.

   "You're on his side aren't you?" He asked glancing at his four year old. "Of course you are he brought you candy."

   Cal smiled sheepishly and ran outside.

   "Traitor!" Halt yelled playfully as she ran. He heard her laughing from outside. Shaking his head he started on the paperwork. 

*            *             *            *

   That evening Crowley arrived back at Halt's cabin. He knocked and  walked inside. Halt was hunched over a piece of paper and mumbling.

   "This makes no damn sense. How can someone even do that? What the hell?" Crowley smirked, that was exactly how he felt about paperwork. 

   "You look tired Halt."

   "I wonder why." Halt snarled at Crowley. He shrugged and sat across from Halt.

   He started going through the papers. Halt noticed he was making two piles, he didn't feel like asking why. He finished the last one and walked outside. But not before slapping the paper onto his best friends face.

   Crowley stuck it on the bottom of the pile and kept going through them. About thirty minutes later Crowley had two piles. One a bit taller than the other. Those were the ones Halt had filled out correctly. He sighed.

   "Might as well go talk to him." He walked outside and found Halt throwing his knife at a dead tree.

   "You're going to kill that tree." He was trying to make a joke but Halt missed it completely.

   "Can't kill what's already dead." He side glanced at Crowley. He retrieved his knife from where it had landed and returned it to the sheath.

   "You did about two-thirds of the papers wrong."

   "Did I now? I wonder how I could have possibly done that. I guess you'll just have to re-do them."

   "You did it on purpose is how."

   "Did I?" Halt walked up to Crowley. Being half a head shorter than the commander, it was a little hard to be intimidating to his friend.

   "It is not my job to fill out that paperwork, it's yours. And if you think I did it wrong on purpose, why don't you prove it."

   "You are so...I don't think there's a good word for what you are Halt!"

   "There's one for you, and that's bastard!"

   "Asshole! A coward is what you are O'Carrick!"

   Halt lunged at Crowley and a moment later they were on the ground brawling.

   "Halt, what's going on?" They both stopped throwing punches when they heard Cal's drowsy little voice. She was holding her teddy bear in one hand and rubbing her eye with the other.

   Crowley's nose was bleeding. Halt had the beginnings of a black eye. They both had multiple cuts and bruises everywhere.

 

   "Get off me Crowley." He pushed Crowley off and walked over to Cal. "We were, um...well. We were practicing fighting." He sat on the step she was standing on.

   "Why?"

   "Um, well, uh." Halt made a motion for Crowley to help him out.

   "Just to stay in shape, little one." Crowley provided.

   Cal looked from her 'uncle' to her father and back multiple times. "Wait." She handed Halt her teddy bear and ran inside.

   "Isn't she adorable?" Halt asked.

   "Very. Sorry about eye."

   "And I'm sorry about your nose." They shared a chuckle. It seemed stupid that they had fought at all.

   Cal ran back out and handed Halt a damp cloth. Taking her teddy bear back from him as she did.

   "I can not cawwy the...the..."

   "The pitcher?" Cal nodded at Halt's suggestion. "Why do you need to carry the pitcher? Oh." Halt kissed the top of her head and scooped her up in hug.

   "You are such a wonderful child."

   Cal returned the hug as he picked her up.

   "Here, catch." He tossed the cloth to Crowley. He walked across to the door. "You might as well stay the night. It's getting a little late to head out. And you should clean yourself up. Cal was glaring at him with a pout on her face.

   "And what might your problem be?"

   "You didn't ask me."

   "Oh, I'm so sorry. Is it all right if your uncle stays the night with us."

   Cal gave a very enthusiastic "Yes!"

   Crowley laughed. "Halt you are making coffee. I have paper work to do." 

 

 


End file.
